1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new and improved suspension system for automatic clothes washers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior attempts have been made, as represented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,701, for example, to provide gimbal support for the tub of a centrifugal machine or automatic washer. That disclosure utilizes a spherical surface on the tub engaging a complementary spherical surface on the supporting member. Such spherical surfaces are costly to produce, and there is difficulty in maintaining satisfactory equilibrium of the tub during normal operation unless the mass center is kept low. Attempts to solve this have resulted in various complications. Excessively strong biasing structures such as springs or other means have been suggested to overcome the relative instability of the spherical gimbal arrangements. Means other than simple biasing stiffness or additions have taken the form, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,098 of antiprecessional damping means.
Further, in arrangements such as disclosed in the identified patents servicing access to the suspension structures has been difficult, in spite of the sometimes complex structures involved and therefore liability to malfunction and wear.